HOW TO BREW COFFEE-CACAO

Brewing with a drip coffee machine. 

DON'T BREW THE COFFEE-CACAO BLEND IN A MACHINE.* It is better to use a reusable steel mesh filter than a paper filter for manual pour over brewing. If you brew only coffee with a drip coffee machine, your machine must heat the water to no less than 90 degrees Celsius (195 Fahrenheit). Many machines won’t reach this threshold and so your brew might taste sour, bland or underdeveloped. Look for temperature control and drip mechanics if investing in a quality coffee maker.

* Cacao brews like coffee, but those healthy fats in cacao may clog your filter - a steel filter allows the brew to filter. If you have a little cacao sediment in the bottom of your cup, it is a good thing. 

Manual brewing is best. 

The ingredients, the brewing process: 

1. Water quality: is crucial. If you suspect your water is not up to snuff, consider buying a TDS meter {PRODUCT} that will gauge water purity. If there is nothing to be done about your tap water, consider a Brita filter or purified water. 
2. Water temp: It is best to have a kettle with a digital temperature read-out {PRODUCT}. Focus on the coffee brew temperature and the roast cacao will come along for the ride. If you are in love with your old-fashioned kettle (who isn’t?) then a water thermometer will help. I tend to like the water a little hotter myself; it dissolves the cacao faster in the coffee brew. However, you may want the temperature closer to a great coffee brew (90-92 degrees Celsius - sea level). Water approaching boiling will make the brew more bitter because of strong extraction. Remember the cacao adds a temperature dynamic worthy of experimentation. For a pour-over method - and you a committed coffee-cacao pioneer - go for a goose-neck kettle to preheat your filter... slow down your pour-over... move in a clockwise to counterclockwise motion etc...  TIP: If you have a beloved gooseneck kettle you don’t want to heat directly on a stove, use an electric kettle (with a digital thermometer) and heat the water to boiling. Then pour a little hot water in the gooseneck to preheat, empty and fill. The temperature will lower in the gooseneck to the right pour over temperature.  {PRODUCT}
3. Coffee-cacao to water ratio: Start with a classic 1:15 ratio and move to 1:12 for a bold taste and go to 1:18 if you prefer a lighter brew. If you are serious about setting up this worthy habit, get a scale {PRODUCT}. 
4. Brewing time: First be sure to bloom the coffee-cacao grinds. This is to wet the grinds with hot water and let them expand. The C02 will escape and you are ready for extraction! Hot water extraction starts with releasing acids in the coffee - then flavour profiles (including oils), and then on to sugars and finally to tannins. If your coffee tastes a little sour, then you have released the acids in the beans without releasing flavours and sugars - just allow your brew to steep longer.  If you end up with a tannin-like flavour - which is bitter - you are brewing your coffee hot or long or a combination of both. Cacao will brew at the same temperature as your coffee. It is best to focus on your coffee and the cacao will be alone for the ride.
5. The grind: The coarser the grind, the longer the extraction. The finer the grind, the faster the extraction. So considering coffee-cacao to water, water temperature, brewing time and grind, you need to consider a fine balance to hit your favorite brew. If you pour over, a slightly finer grind will work better than the coarser grind for brewing in immersion methods (like French presses - see below). The balance challenge is to make small changes to adjust your brew. What will help a great deal is to invest in a good quality burr grinder {PRODUCT}. DON'T grind cacao in a burr grinder. Only a brief chop of cacao nibs in a blade grinder is necessary {PRODUCT}.

The equipment: 

The equipment you need is relatively inexpensive and easy to clean. Pour-over, French press and AeroPress methods work best. Mocha pots and percolators will also do the trick if this is your method. As opposed to machines, these brew methods will give you the ability to custom brew to taste - and naturally everyone has different tastes. Start with 1:15 ratio and move to 1:12 

Here is some equipment you you can choose from: 

1. Pour-over: We mentioned that cacao has all that healthy fat. This is why, if pouring over, a stainless steel mesh filter is essential {PRODUCT}. A paper filter will clog and slow the process. A mesh filter will steep the brew and still allow a consistent flow into your cup. These filters will sit well on most coffee cups and give a consistent designer brew - of course you are the designer. 
2. A French press{PRODUCT}: is an immersion brewer - and a good consideration for brewing coffee-cacao. Keep in mind it will generally work better for a rich oily blend as opposed to a more tea-like brew. The hot water and coffee-cacao mix for 2 to 5 minutes to flavour to your taste preference. 
3. An AeroPress{PRODUCT}: is a low tech immersion brew process that lets you extract the brew with a little pressure through a filter. It is a good method of hot and cold brew extraction. It will brew in 2 - 4 minutes and is a very portable set-up. Check: https://aeropress.com/use-it-now/getting-started/
4. A Mocha-Pot {PRODUCT}: is a stove-top brew method. It is often considered a stove-top espresso machine although it is completely manual and builds only a fraction of the pressure of an espresso machine. It will give you a richer espresso-like coffee (compared to a lighter tea-like blend). It has a brew chamber and a collection chamber, which with practise, will allow you to brew consistently for a specific number of servings (depending on the pot size). Once you find your perfect mix of coffee-cacao, and you want consistency, this method might serve you well.     
5. A Percolator {PRODUCT}: is another stove-top brew method but more basic than a mocha pot - given the brew chamber and collection chamber are combined. This method needs attention to water temperature and brew time as the method is susceptible to over-extraction - making the coffee strong and bitter. However, despite this potential issue, the coffee can be rich and flavourful. It is the staple for a great cup of camp coffee in the great outdoors. 
6. Storage: Until your next brew, be sure to keep your coffee-joe fresh. Coffee-cacao’s enemy is air, light and moisture. C02 containers {PRODUCT} like these are easy to use and relatively inexpensive. * The containers have C02 valves on the lid of the container - these should be dark, not translucent.